BVA decisions by condition
Undiagnosed illnesses: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a undiagnosed illnesses issue in 4,547 decisions. It granted the undiagnosed illnesses issue in 20.0% of them, close to the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 33.1%, and remanded it in 46.2%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 37.7% were granted.
Decisions
4,547
2017–2026
Granted
20.0%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
37.7%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
46.2%
Denied: 33.1%
Undiagnosed illnesses outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 330 | 14.8% | 42.7% | 40.0% |
| 2018 | 527 | 15.6% | 38.3% | 42.9% |
| 2019 | 548 | 15.1% | 31.6% | 51.1% |
| 2020 | 497 | 16.7% | 33.8% | 49.7% |
| 2021 | 439 | 18.5% | 32.3% | 49.2% |
| 2022 | 487 | 21.6% | 26.9% | 52.0% |
| 2023 | 500 | 21.4% | 26.4% | 52.6% |
| 2024 | 483 | 23.6% | 28.0% | 47.8% |
| 2025 | 534 | 28.7% | 38.8% | 33.0% |
| 2026 | 202 | 25.7% | 36.6% | 38.1% |
Evidence in granted and denied undiagnosed illnesses decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the undiagnosed illnesses issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 686 | 64.6% | 30.4% | +34.2 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 561 | 60.8% | 32.7% | +28.1 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 250 | 60.6% | 35.9% | +24.7 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,353 | 46.6% | 32.7% | +13.9 pts |
| Combat service | 369 | 50.2% | 36.4% | +13.8 pts |
| Buddy statement | 165 | 37.4% | 37.7% | −0.3 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 544 | 35.5% | 37.8% | −2.3 pts |
| Lay statement | 3,704 | 34.7% | 59.0% | −24.2 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 74.6% of the decisions that granted undiagnosed illnesses.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 33.3% of grants and 13.2% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often undiagnosed illnesses was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 2,544 | 31.8% | 47.9% | −16.1 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 3,448 | 34.2% | 55.9% | −21.8 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied undiagnosed illnesses
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established49
- Veteran served in southwest asia during persian gulf war44
- Veteran is a persian gulf veteran25
- Veteran served in southwest asia theater of operations during persian gulf war23
- Veteran qualifies as persian gulf veteran19
- Persian gulf veteran status17
- Criteria for service connection met16
- Persian gulf veteran status established13
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis452
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim140
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service89
- Current diagnosis established87
- Service records negative or silent73
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis32
- No diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome21
- Criteria for service connection not met15
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent undiagnosed illnesses decisions
Granted
New and relevant evidence received for readjudication.; Veteran served in Southwest Asia theater during Persian Gulf War.; Diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, gastrointestinal disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome.; Symptoms consistent with medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness.; Objective indications and six-month chronicity requirement met.
Death certificate lists myeloid leukemia as sole and immediate cause of death.; Veteran had active service in Southwest Asia theater of operations (July 1992-June 1993).; Chronic myelogenous leukemia is service-connected under 38 C.F.R. § 3.320b for Southwest Asia service.
Credible evidence establishes PTSD symptoms including impaired impulse control, irritability, and anger.; Veteran and son testified that irritability led to abrupt exit from car, causing fall.; Judicial notice taken that dizziness and irritability are common side effects of Sertraline, prescribed for PTSD.
Denied
No current diagnosis of infectious disease; No symptoms attributable to infectious disease; Evidence persuasively weighs against claim
No diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome documented.; Fatigue attributed to other service-connected disabilities (PTSD, muscle pain, sleep apnea).; VA examiners found Veteran did not meet criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome.
No competent evidence of current CFS diagnosis; Exclusion of other conditions not met; Fatigue symptoms attributed to other diagnoses (HIV, lung cancer, COPD); Severity criteria not met; Lay statements regarding CFS diagnosis are incompetent
Rules that apply to undiagnosed illnesses claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your undiagnosed illnesses case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a undiagnosed illnesses issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.